Employment Outlook

Veterinary Assistant

A Veterinary Assistant will support the Vet and Veterinary Nurses by maintaining equipment, making sure areas are prepared for surgery, looking after the animals and also carrying out various clerical duties.

Average wage for

Employment Levels

There are currently around 10,000 people employed as Veterinary Assistants across Australia. The Department of Employment says this figure will increase to 12,100 people by 2018.

Employment by State

Queensland appears to be the area with the highest employment rate for Veterinary Assistants, with 34.3%. However the fewest Veterinary Assistants are employed in the ACT and Western Australia, with 2% each.

Gender Split

This is a very female dominated industry with 97.6% of Veterinary Assistants being women and only 2.4% male.

Age Brackets

The most popular age for people within this job is 20-24 years old, with 35.5%. However, there are still a number of people (13.0%) who get into this path younger, from 15-19 years of age. However, generally, people don't stay in this career past 64 years old.

Hours Worked

Veterinary Assistants work an average of 38.1 hours a week which is 3 hours less than the average for all occupations.

Education Level

The majority of Veterinary Assistants have a Certificate III/IV qualification (40%) or a Year 12 qualification (37.8%). 62.2% have a Certificate III or higher, whilst 37.8% have a qualification which is Year 12 or lower.

Veterinary Assistant Duties & Tasks

Support Vets and Veterinary Nurses in their role

Clean and maintain equipment

Feed, exercise and groom patients

Prepare and sanitise areas for surgery

Restrain and handle animals

Carry out clerical and administrative work

Professional Associations & Groups

*The information provided on this page is from the Department of Employment’s Job Outlook website. All salary ranges are from Payscale. Where jobs are not exact matches, job areas have been used. This information is to be used as a guide only.

Get a Free Course Guide

Enter your details below to receive a free course guide and a consultation with an Education Advisor.